Milo's Birth Story
Submitted by wolfmomma
We were scheduled for induction beginning Wednesday March 10th. The dog was boarded at the kennel, the kids were with BM for the next few days in rotation- great timing!
We arrived at the hospital at 7 am. I was so nervous. Iâve never been in a hospital for more than 20 minutes at a shot and never overnight. I changed into a gown and they started trying to get an IV going so they could start the Pitocin. They brought in 3 nurses and stabbed my hands in 4 places before they finally got it. They put me on Pitocin starting at about 8 am. I was on it all day that day; I had a few contractions that I could feel but nothing really painful. I dilated a little more, but not a lot. I walkedâ¦and walkedâ¦no reaction it seemed. The best reaction I got was from placing two combs on the pressure points on the inside of my hands and squeezing. (Go Mom for that tip!) Unfortunately, still not enough. My mom and sister were there with me as was my DH ï I have the most supportive family, Iâm so lucky. They sat in with me the whole day even though nothing was really happening.
Dr. came in around 7 pm and said they were going to stop the Pit and try something else in the morning. I had only dilated to maybe 3. (I was dilated to 2 when I GOT to the hospital originally) Otherwise, my option was to go home and wait it out. I had my mind made up already- I wasnât leaving without our son in my arms. So we ordered in dinner and DH ran out and bought Boondock saints 2 and we watched that. I really do have the most doting husband in history. This would be our last movie together without Milo.
Day 2 the nurse came in and they started me on cytotec and pitocin again. Finally, some action, but still not much. Mom and sister came back to stay with me and DH again ï I dilated to 5. Dr. came in at noon and went over my options again. They could break the water or I could go home. I told him to break the water. That is an interesting feeling for sure. I was told there was meconium in the water. I was a little worried at that point but the Dr. seemed confident.
After about 12:30 the contractions got stronger and stronger. They kept me on the pitocin but stopped they cytotec. The contractions were getting really painful and I finally opted for an Epidural. Iâm glad I did, it made me able to focus on the process and the goal rather than just pain. That helped right away. I didnât really feel anything except tightening until I was dilated to about 7 or so. Then I could feel it again, but still not as strong as originally. The nurse decided to put a monitor on Milo inside me to keep track of his heart rate better and another monitor to check intensity/duration of contractions since the external monitors didnât really seem to be picking up.
Right around 5:30 the nurse said to me, âWell, that baby better hurry up, you know I leave at 7.â Sheâd been with us all day and was by far the best nurse we had. She did what she needed to do, but also had a great bedside manner. I donât think it was even 5 minutes before I went into active labor. DH had gone down to grab something to eat from the cafeteria and call the kids. In the hospital Milo was born in- they play a lullaby whenever a baby is born. Well there were several people in labor at the time and the lullaby went off. He came bolting back upstairs sure that Iâd had Milo already. (I hadnât.) I was getting close.
When they finally let me push I had a hard time actually doing it. DH was there for me and so supportive. He was awesome the whole time. I shouldnât be surprised by that, he always has been supportive and in tune with me. I guess my preconceived notions that it would lessen the pain to push were a little misguided. Iâve never felt pain like that before and I thought I must be doing something wrong. I was scared and excited and frustrated. I had no idea how long it would take but by then all I wanted was my son. They brought in several more nurses and another doctor just before he was born. I was in real pushing active labor for about an hour and a half which Iâm told is about half the average for a first-time mother. Finally, that one more push and he was here!!!
Miles Andrew (Milo) was born at 7:07 PM on March 11, 2010 and weighed 8 lbs 8 oz. They whisked him over to the warmer and started to work on him. I could hear that something was wrong but wasnât sure what it was. I could see he was struggling. They were suctioning and suctioning and he finally cried. Boy did he wail! Honestly it was music to my ears because that meant that he was breathing. I finally got to hold him for a few seconds before they took him again.
They did x-rays of his chest to check if there was meconium in there. I was warned that if he did, he may develop pneumonia and need to go to the next larger town hospital, but his color was good and his breathing was getting better. They found that the meconium was mostly gone but he had a pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and so they would be monitoring him for that. I got to hold him finally. He remains the most beautiful thing Iâve ever seen in my entire life. He didnât look like a typical newborn, he had nice color, nice complexion, he wasnât squished or bruised in any way, and he was fairly large. I just wanted to keep him in my arms forever. I did share though, with my DH, mom and sister.
After 3 more days in the hospital he was on a monitor the whole time and they took him from me at night. Finally, on Sunday afternoon we were released and are doing very well at home. Heâs had quite a few chest x-rays now, but hopefully weâll be given the word any time now that his lungs are fine. His vital signs are good and heâs taken to nursing and the bottle better than I would have hoped. I can barely keep my eyes off him, he holds me entranced.
I think Elizabeth Stone said it best- âMaking the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.â Thatâs the truth of it. I never knew what these emotions, love totally untainted and feelings of protectiveness could be like. Iâm so lucky to have my DH and that we were able to share this experience together. It really is miraculous.
We just found out that his x-rays are clear and he's healthy now.
Read more birth stories or share YOUR birth story now!
Dr. came in around 7 pm and said they were going to stop the Pit and try something else in the morning. I had only dilated to maybe 3. (I was dilated to 2 when I GOT to the hospital originally) Otherwise, my option was to go home and wait it out. I had my mind made up already- I wasnât leaving without our son in my arms. So we ordered in dinner and DH ran out and bought Boondock saints 2 and we watched that. I really do have the most doting husband in history. This would be our last movie together without Milo.
Day 2 the nurse came in and they started me on cytotec and pitocin again. Finally, some action, but still not much. Mom and sister came back to stay with me and DH again ï I dilated to 5. Dr. came in at noon and went over my options again. They could break the water or I could go home. I told him to break the water. That is an interesting feeling for sure. I was told there was meconium in the water. I was a little worried at that point but the Dr. seemed confident.
After about 12:30 the contractions got stronger and stronger. They kept me on the pitocin but stopped they cytotec. The contractions were getting really painful and I finally opted for an Epidural. Iâm glad I did, it made me able to focus on the process and the goal rather than just pain. That helped right away. I didnât really feel anything except tightening until I was dilated to about 7 or so. Then I could feel it again, but still not as strong as originally. The nurse decided to put a monitor on Milo inside me to keep track of his heart rate better and another monitor to check intensity/duration of contractions since the external monitors didnât really seem to be picking up.
Right around 5:30 the nurse said to me, âWell, that baby better hurry up, you know I leave at 7.â Sheâd been with us all day and was by far the best nurse we had. She did what she needed to do, but also had a great bedside manner. I donât think it was even 5 minutes before I went into active labor. DH had gone down to grab something to eat from the cafeteria and call the kids. In the hospital Milo was born in- they play a lullaby whenever a baby is born. Well there were several people in labor at the time and the lullaby went off. He came bolting back upstairs sure that Iâd had Milo already. (I hadnât.) I was getting close.
When they finally let me push I had a hard time actually doing it. DH was there for me and so supportive. He was awesome the whole time. I shouldnât be surprised by that, he always has been supportive and in tune with me. I guess my preconceived notions that it would lessen the pain to push were a little misguided. Iâve never felt pain like that before and I thought I must be doing something wrong. I was scared and excited and frustrated. I had no idea how long it would take but by then all I wanted was my son. They brought in several more nurses and another doctor just before he was born. I was in real pushing active labor for about an hour and a half which Iâm told is about half the average for a first-time mother. Finally, that one more push and he was here!!!
Miles Andrew (Milo) was born at 7:07 PM on March 11, 2010 and weighed 8 lbs 8 oz. They whisked him over to the warmer and started to work on him. I could hear that something was wrong but wasnât sure what it was. I could see he was struggling. They were suctioning and suctioning and he finally cried. Boy did he wail! Honestly it was music to my ears because that meant that he was breathing. I finally got to hold him for a few seconds before they took him again.
They did x-rays of his chest to check if there was meconium in there. I was warned that if he did, he may develop pneumonia and need to go to the next larger town hospital, but his color was good and his breathing was getting better. They found that the meconium was mostly gone but he had a pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and so they would be monitoring him for that. I got to hold him finally. He remains the most beautiful thing Iâve ever seen in my entire life. He didnât look like a typical newborn, he had nice color, nice complexion, he wasnât squished or bruised in any way, and he was fairly large. I just wanted to keep him in my arms forever. I did share though, with my DH, mom and sister.
After 3 more days in the hospital he was on a monitor the whole time and they took him from me at night. Finally, on Sunday afternoon we were released and are doing very well at home. Heâs had quite a few chest x-rays now, but hopefully weâll be given the word any time now that his lungs are fine. His vital signs are good and heâs taken to nursing and the bottle better than I would have hoped. I can barely keep my eyes off him, he holds me entranced.
I think Elizabeth Stone said it best- âMaking the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.â Thatâs the truth of it. I never knew what these emotions, love totally untainted and feelings of protectiveness could be like. Iâm so lucky to have my DH and that we were able to share this experience together. It really is miraculous.
We just found out that his x-rays are clear and he's healthy now.
Read more birth stories or share YOUR birth story now!
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